Carriers

Despite the fact that we're pretty sure to see the unveiling of Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 at IFA this year, there are undoubtedly still some folks out there still looking to get their hands on the original. If you're among them, you're in luck – Amazon Wireless is offering the AT&T-connected, 5.3" Super AMOLED display-toting Galaxy Note for just $159.99 (a cool $40 off AT&T's price for those keeping count). We haven't seen a deal this good on the AT&T Note since way back in February, meaning those still waiting for a discount would be well advised to check this out.

The T-Mobile Galaxy Exhibit 4G—formerly known as the Exhibit II 4G before a software update rebranded the device, because I guess you can do that—is receiving another update today. Sorry, it's not Ice Cream Sandwich. As a consolation prize, though, you get stability improvements and bug fixes!

The new build (T679UVLG3) will only be available via Kies, so you'll need a desktop computer to be able to download it. Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of a significant changelog, but what we do have is right here:

If affordable phones, unlimited 4G LTE data, and no contracts are all things that appeal to you, then today's announcement from MetroPCS may be of interest.

For starters, the pay-as-you-go company announced the LG Motion, a new mid-range device that will run on its 4G LTE network. It didn't give a lot in way of specs, but the device features a 3.5" display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and Android 4.0 for $150.

With a 1.4GHz single-core CPU, a majorly outdated version of Android, and a $50 price tag, the MyTouch Q is a hard sell to enthusiasts. (In fact, I'd bargain that literally no enthusiasts would buy it.) But as I explained just a few days ago, there's a lot more to the smartphone picture than devices that cost a few hundred dollars and can do everything short of make breakfast. A very large percentage of consumers have no desire to use their phone as a media streaming device or a mobile gaming powerhouse.

We don't normally make a fuss over budget phones, and we definitely don't readily recommend that people buy them (even when they're free). For the Pantech Marauder on Verizon Wireless, however, we'll make an exception. Its Snapdragon S4 processor, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and 4G LTE connectivity make this a budget device that stands out from the pack.

For the unfamiliar, the Marauder is a new offering from Verizon, packing some very respectable hardware (for the most part, anyway):

Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4

RAM: 1GB

Storage: 4GB

Display: 3.8" 480x800

Battery: 1680mAh

OS: Android 4.0

Dimensions: 5.07" (H) x 2.57" (W) x 0.46" (D)

Camera: 5MP rear, VGA front

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n, WiFi Direct

The clear downside of the Marauder is its smaller-ish 3.8" display, but if you loved the OG Droid and no other phone has been able to fill that void since, the Marauder is your best choice.

We've been talking about Sprint's upcoming LTE QWERTY, the Motorola Photon Q, for a few weeks now, and it's officially here. As of today, you can walk into a Sprint store and buy this "green machine with the power of Android" for the low, low price of $200 with a two-year agreement.

Need a refresher on specs? No problem.

4.3" ColorBoost display

1.5GHz dual-core processor (presumably Snapdragon S4)

1GB RAM

8GB storage, microSD card slot

8MP 1080p rear shooter, 720p front-facing camera

HDMI out

NFC

Full QWERTY slider

LTE, global ready

Android 4.0.4

Sure, it's nothing to get overly-excited about, but if you're a fan of QWERTYs, the Photon Q is probably the best that you can buy right now.

After dropping source code for the Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (along with the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Tab 10.1) just last week, Samsung is once again providing eager developers with something to play with over the weekend, releasing kernel source code for T-Mobile's variants of both the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 to their Opensource download center.

We've just received an email from Motorola announcing an event to be held on September 5th in partnership with Verizon Wireless. We all know it's the RAZR HD, Moto. You can say it. Is it possible we'll see some other surprises from the new, leaner, meaner, Google-owed Moto? Sure, but given Verizon's inclusion on the invite, we're definitely leaning toward the HD being the star of the show.

A minor update is available for T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S III which contains a few bug fixes that were present in the previous software as well as AllShare Cast and improvements to device performance and stability.

The latest build, T999UVLH2, is currently rolling out to devices over-the-air, but if you can't update your phone yet, you will be able to get it using KIES instead.

New Feature:

AllShare Cast

Improvements:

Resolved the error, ‘Enter MAC address' after entering the correct MAC address in the Mobile HotSpot configuration page if the MAC address entered did not contain the colons (:) or spaces.

Remember the sudden 4.03.605.1 OTA update that unexpectedly hit some HTC Rezound devices earlier this week and brought global roaming with it? And the 4.03.605.2 full RUU that we followed up with shortly after? We've just gotten a hold of the full low-level Verizon changelog for these releases (the .2 one to be exact), so here's what's different compared to that final ICS OTA from only a few weeks ago (remember, half of the changelogs' value comes from knowing what to not expect):

Features/Enhancements

Global support enabled

Issues Resolved

Let’s Golf 2 v1.2.1

Skype video call – color incorrect

Lockup

Mobile Hotspot shows incorrect number of devices

Time displayed after powering off and then right back on

BUA+ read requests

BUA+ not displaying in Landscape mode

Data stall

Mobile IM removed

Guided tour video can now be found in “Basic Set-up and Usage Videos”

Location settings pop-up removed

Data widget updated

IPv6 default set to “Enabled”

VMM version updated to 0.37

Static IP

VVM notification in “all Messages” tab after deleting

VCAST Music – removed MP3 purchase references

We're also hearing that the end date for this trial is September 3rd - presumably, that means that if everything goes well, that's the date it's going to get approved and possibly roll out to everyone shortly after.